Author: Rhys Gregory

Two teenagers with Type 1 diabetes took on a 12,000-foot skydive for Diabetes UK Cymru, to show that the condition will not stop them reaching new heights. Kara Clarke, from Port Talbot and Amy Brown, from Pontardawe, were both diagnosed with the condition aged 12. They became close friends after meeting at Type1derful, a Diabetes UK Cymru family support group. [aoa id=”1″] Now both 16, the girls will soon be moving from paediatric to young adult clinic and wanted to mark the transition with a special fundraising challenge. Kara said, “I went to the doctor for something unrelated. He…

Swansea’s new-build private hospital is set to become a centre for diagnostic excellence, with around £2 million being invested in state of the art equipment for the HMT Sancta Maria facility, which is on track to open its doors in 2020. An MRI scanner, digital x-ray and a fluoroscopy unit will be on hand at the site, which will be built between Fabian Way, and Prince of Wales Dock, SA1. The investment is set to revolutionise diagnostics at the hospital – significantly speeding up the patient journey from diagnosis to results. HMT Sancta Maria’s Hospital Director, Stuart Hammond says: “This…

St David’s Cardiff has launched a campaign to reduce single-use plastic in the city. Refill Me allows shoppers to easily identify where they can refill water bottles for free in restaurants and cafes throughout Wales’ largest shopping destination. [aoa id=”1″] Throughout the centre, ten shops and restaurants have signed up to the scheme so far, and visitors that see the Refill Me sticker displayed in a window can pop in and fill up their bottle with cold tap water, reducing single-use plastic consumption. In the UK, 7.7 billion plastic bottles of water are purchased each year, and only 43% are…

Extra park and ride services will be in operation during this year’s Rhyl Air Show. Services from Prestatyn and St Asaph will operate into Rhyl to reduce traffic congestion during the free event, which takes place in the skies above Rhyl on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th of August. [aoa id=”1″] Residents are being encouraged to walk to the event while visitors are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys. Denbighshire County Council is organising Rhyl Air Show with support from Rhyl Town Council. More displays have joined the last remaining Bristol Blenheim in the world and the…

Splish Splash is staged entirely in and under water, and is an Oily Cart and National Theatre Wales (NTW) co-production commissioned as part of NTW’s NHS at 70 Festival. The watery wonderland toured hydrotherapy pools in NHS hospitals, hospices and special schools across Wales, playing to an audience of just two young people and their carers in each performance, and featuring a cast of four actors and a musician playing live on floating instruments in the water. The Dolphin hydrotherapy pool was transformed into a floating fantasy land with underwater lighting, clouds of bubbles and curtains of spray.  The performance…

Toddlers from a Rhyl nursery showed off their natural charm and boundless energy as they enjoyed a teddy bear’s picnic of jelly and ice-cream with elderly care home residents. The tots, who attend Beach House Day Nursery in Rhyl, took an afternoon “pull-a-long” tram to St David’s Residential Home in the seaside town to spend time with the seniors as part of a new project to enhance wellbeing and promote inter-generational interaction. The children, aged two and three, have been visiting the home regularly since Christmas and residents have grown very fond of their comical outbursts and cuddles – with…

SCHOLARSHIPS of £1,000 are being offered to three undergraduates who study through the medium of Welsh. [aoa id=”1″] The University of South Wales (USW) is offering the funding for first year students who start their degree this September. They must study at least one third of their course – 40 credits – in Welsh during their first year to qualify for the funding. The courses included in the scholarship scheme are Business Management, Human Resources Management, Marketing, Event Management, Theatr a Drama, Primary Studies with QTS, Police Sciences, Construction Project Management, or Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management. [/aoa] USW’s Head…

The Anglesey branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales is looking forward to a busy county show (Tuesday August 14 – Wednesday August 15) held at the Mona Showground, and extend a warm welcome to everyone. FUW Anglesey CEO Alaw Jones said: “We are looking forward to a jam-packed county show where we will be discussing #FarmingMatters and #FairFarmFunding with our members and elected politicians. I hope many of you can join us for what promises to be an excellent show.” [aoa id=”1″] North Wales Police and Crime commissioner Arfon Jones will be present from 11am – 1pm on the…

A finalist in 2018 Song for Wales competition, Gary ‘Ragsy’ Ryland is rapidly developing a reputation as one of Wales’ emerging recording artists. [aoa id=”1″] But fans of his music might be surprised to find out the artist –  known as Ragsy – is also a trained chef with a long-standing fascination for Welsh cookery. It’s these two passions that will bring Ragsy to this year’s Mold Food & Drink Festival where he will take to the stage alongside a host of local bands and performers, providing the musical backdrop to the two-day festival. Ragsy said: “Not many people…

[Warning: Some may find this distressing to watch and should carry a warning before viewing] Welsh Water is reminding people the dangers of taking a dip in reservoirs, with a number of people already being cautioned for ‘putting their lives at risk’. Welsh Water’s One Last Breath campaign highlights the dangers of swimming in reservoirs which features the impact on friends and family of a drowning. [aoa id=”1″] The video campaign starkly depicts two teenagers who drown after going into the water at a reservoir on a hot summer day – and the impact on their friends and family left…